bwfc.co.uk previews Wanderers' upcoming trip to Highbury
As Wanderers prepare to travel to second place Fleetwood Town, bwfc.co.uk highlights five talking points ahead of the Whites’ next Sky Bet League One fixture.
1. Promotion six-pointer
Wanderers make the short journey to Fleetwood this weekend with the Cod Army currently occupying the final automatic promotion spot in Sky Bet League One.
Currently sitting four points adrift of this weekend’s opponents, the Whites do boast a game in hand on their counterparts from Highbury.
With the race for promotion hotting up however and with the finish line in sight, Saturday’s game could well prove to be a crucial one come the final standings.
2. David Wheater
Having re-signed for the club back in the summer, the defender has enjoyed a successful season in the heart of the defence.
Captaining the side on a number of occasions, Wheater has scored five league goals. His tally leaves him as the second highest scoring defender from the 92 English clubs, with only West Brom’s Gareth McAuley bettering his record.
After picking up the Bolton Wanderers February Player of the Month award, as voted by the fans – you can expect the 30-year-old to produce another solid display, perhaps capped off with a goal?
3. Gary Madine
Bolton’s No.14 is certainly enjoying an Indian summer in front of goal a present having notched three times in his last four outings.
The big striker has found the back of the net against Walsall, Bradford City and AFC Wimbledon in recent weeks to take his tally for the season to nine.
And having already surpassed his entire tally for last season, the 26-year-old will be eager to finish the campaign on a high and scoop the Golden Boot come April.
4. First League game at Highbury
This season has seen Bolton face a number of new teams and visit a variety of new grounds. This weekend, followers of Phil Parkinson’s side will be able to tick off a new ground from their list.
Despite meeting for the first time competitively earlier in the season, the two sides have faced each other a number of times prior to the meeting in a handful of friendlies.
John McGovern oversaw a 6-1 win over a part-time Fleetwood outfit in his first game in charge of Wanderers in 1982. The two sides met once again in 1986 and 1996 before their most recent friendly in July 2010.
Over six years ago Wanderers travelled to then conference side Fleetwood for a pre-season fixture at Highbury, however, for many travelling fans this will be the first time they see the famous Whites take to the Highbury field.
5. Gaffer's record against Fleetwood
Phil Parkinson certainly has a enjoyed good record against the Cod Army, as the manager is currently unbeaten in his managerial career against Fleetwood Town. Having faced the Lancashire side seven times, the gaffer has won four times and drawn three.
His sides haven’t been goal shy in them fixtures either, scoring 12 times over the course of the seven games, including two goals in five separate games. One of those occasions came earlier in the season when Bolton overcame Fleetwood 2-1 thanks to goals from Gary Madine and Josh Vela.
The same result this weekend certainly wouldn’t go amiss either!